The defending United Cup Champions square off against a team that went from worst to first in the span of a year in this season’s Eastern League Pennant Series. The Stratford Barons return to the playoffs for the fourth straight season. But this time as the wild card. They are seeking their third consecutive Eastern League Pennant and their second consecutive United Cup. All told, they have won five Pennants and three United Cups. The Wellington Athletics, meanwhile, return to the playoffs after a four-year absence. The Athletics finished at the bottom of the Eastern League standings last season when they finished with a record of 70-84. They improved by 20 games this year and became the first team in United Leagues’ history to go from last to first in a year. They have won two Pennants overall but are still searching for their first United Cup championship.
Both teams enter the playoffs missing a key player. Wellington’s best player, 28-year old LF
Matthew Floyd (.318/.436/.543, 21 HR, 89 RBI, 90 BB, 16 SB, 6.6 WAR) has been hampered by a bruised thigh since March 20 and was diagnosed as day-to-day for 1-2 weeks. However, the Athletics are hopeful he can return to the starting lineup at full-strength at some point in the Pennant Series. Until then, 30-year old IF/OF
Keon-chae Cho (.306/.391/.530, 9 HR, 26 RBI, 19 BB, 1.1 WAR) will start in his place.
The Barons will be without their starting shortstop, 24-year old
Callum Spalton (.281/.309/.384, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 10 BB, 5 SB, 1.4 WAR). Spalton blew out his knee in late December and was lost for the rest of the season. Taking his place at the top of the order was 28-year old
Alan Tennant (.186/.317/.288, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 55 BB, 5 SB, 1.1 WAR). Tenant is an outstanding defensive infielder (4 Ball Hawk Awards), but the Barons will surely miss Spalton’s bat in the playoffs. In addition to being a spectacular defensive shortstop himself, Spalton won the United Cup MVP Award last year (.346/.404/.500, 152 wRC+ in 13 playoff games).
62-year old
Xavier Ahernfeld just completed his sixth season as a field manager, all with the Barons. After a 7th place finish in 1951-52, he has led Stratford to the playoffs the past four seasons, winning it all last year. Meanwhile, Wellington’s manager,
Wildemar Aquino, has had a much more varied career. After serving as Cobourg’s hitting coach for 12 years, the Hespeler-native tried his hand as manager for the first time with the Pulberry Trolleys in 1949-50. That experiment lasted just one season, as the Trolleys finished in last place with a 54-100 record. But after taking a year off, he returned as Queensland’s bench coach for three seasons before being hired by the Athletics last year just 29 games into the season. That team finished in last place, something that has happened 10 times in Aquino’s 18-year career. But this season, it all came together and the 62-year old will get his first taste of the playoffs after 2,743 games.
Although Wellington won the regular season matchup, these two clubs finished just one game apart at the top of the standings. What’s more, Stratford comes into the playoffs as a remarkably balanced club despite the injuries while Wellington struggled to produce runs. But if the Athletics can step it up at the plate, this Series should be an exciting one.
Finally – the playoffs are here! Play ball!
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Game 1 – March 27
The playoffs return to Santop Stadium for the first time in four years. It’s clear, it’s hot and the ballpark is packed for a beautiful afternoon of baseball.
28-year old RHP
Vinnie Snell makes his third career playoff start, after going 0-2, 4.86 ERA four years ago. He is looking for some redemption and the Athletics are giving him every chance. Stratford counters with 29-year old RHP
Magtanggol Jaojoco (3-3, 2 SV, 3.05 ERA in 16 playoff games), who is no stranger to the playing under the pressure. The two-time Satchel Paige Award winner will make his 8th career playoff start.
Bottom of the 3rd:
The game turns out to be a low-scoring affair with a couple of close calls. The closest came in the bottom of the 3rd. After striking out both Vance Fendley and Vinnie Snell, Jaojoco watches as Vaiga Bultarro connects on a 3-1 pitch, lining a double into deep left field. Wayne Emmert follows with a fly ball that falls safely into shallow centerfield. Bultarro races around third to try and score, but Alfonso León cuts him down at home plate to end the threat.
Stratford 0 – Wellington 0
Top of the 4th:
Wellington breaks through one inning later. Jim Mars leads off with a single while Greg Yates follows with a four-pitch walk. Declan Bugbie then hits into a fielder’s choice at 2B, advancing Mars to 3B, while Keon-chae Cho strikes out swinging. But Yorikane Takeuchi singles off the first pitch into shallow leftfield. Mars comes home for the game’s only run.
In the top of the 9th, Vinnie Snell finishes the job he started, striking out Aaron Skidmore and inducing back-to-back fly outs from both Rhys Fell and Alfonso León. In a battle of pitchers, Snell prevails for his first career playoff victory and gives the Athletics a 1-0 lead in the Series.
FINAL: Stratford 0 – Wellington 1
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Game 2 – March 28
The Barons lost a tough one in Game 1 and now look to their No. 1 pitcher to help them try and even things up. 27-year old LHP
Robin Wadsworth (3-3, 1 SV, 4.50 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) takes the hill in the playoffs for the 5th time in his career. Looking to extend their lead, the Athletics tap their No. 2 man, 32-year old RHP
Hyun-kyoo Sin. This will be the first playoff appearance for Sin in his 8-year career. The conditions are soggy as it rained all morning and the skies continue to threaten. But the game starts as scheduled.
Top of the 1st:
Sin gets a rough welcome to start the game, as the Barons load the bases with nobody out. Alan Tennant leads off with a walk after fouling off 4 pitches. Roberto Ríos then singles while Matthew Channing follows with a 4-pitch walk. After fouling off 5 pitches, Aaron Skidmore hits into a 3-6 fielders’ choice. Tennant comes home on the play to open the scoring while Ríos advances to 3B.
Andy Faulkner crushes the very next pitch to deep centerfield, but Greg Yates tracks it down. Ríos tags up and beats out the throw for the second run.
Stratford 2 – Wellington 0
Top of the 3rd:
Alan Tennant leads off with a walk once again. With one out, Sin throws a wild pitch allowing Tennant to reach 2B. On the 9th pitch of his at-bat, Matthew Channing scorches one into deep centerfield that gets behind Greg Yates. Channing pulls up into 3B for a triple, scoring Tennant.
On a full count, Aaron Skidmore grounds out to SS Vance Fendley as Channing comes home on the play to extend the Barons’ lead.
Stratford 4 – Wellington 0
Bottom of the 5th:
Wellington finally gets something going when Keon-chae Cho and Yorikane Takeuchi lead off with back-to-back walks. After Vance Fendley hits into a 3-6 fielders’ choice allowing Cho to take 3B, Sin helps his own cause when he connects on a 2-0 pitch for a single into shallow left-centerfield. Cho scores while the speedy Fendley races around 2B and beats out the throw to 3B from CF Alfonso León.
Vaiga Bultarro then skies one out to the warning track in leftfield. Fendley tags up and scores easily as LF Roberto Ríos doesn’t attempt the throw.
Stratford 4 – Wellington 2
Bottom of the 7th:
Yorikane Takeuchi lines a single into leftfield to lead off. With one out, PH Brayden Docking hits a sharp liner into centerfield. Takeuchi rounds 2B, then guns it for 3B, successfully beating out the throw from CF Alfonso León. Vaiga Bultarro promptly follows with a single into leftfield, scoring Takeuchi.
Stratford 4 – Wellington 3
Bottom of the 8th:
Greg Yates lines a double into right-centerfield to lead off. With two out, Yorikane Takeuchi hits a screamer just to the right of 2B. Matthew Channing snares it but his throw to 1B is not in time as Yates takes 3B on the play, putting runners on the corners. Two pitches later, Vance Fendley ties the game up when he doubles into left centerfield, scoring Yates. That ends Robin Wadsworth’s afternoon.
Neither team can score in the 9th, thus sending the game into extras.
Stratford 4 – Wellington 4
Bottom of the 10th:
RHP Glen Limon enters in the 10th with the game still tied. But Keon-chae Cho leads off with a first-pitch single into shallow leftfield. After Yorikane Takeuchi grounds out to 2B Matthew Channing allowing Cho to move up to 2B, Vance Fendley scratches out an infield single to put runners on the corners. Limon then hits Jordan Backhouse on the very next pitch, loading the bases. With two out, Bart Warwick battles Limon for 8 pitches before drawing a full count walk forcing in Fendley for the winning run.
Wellington battles back in the mist to take a 2-games-to-none lead as the Series now shifts to Stratford.
Final: Stratford 4 – Wellington 5
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Game 3 – March 30
The Series moves to Bosworth Field in Stratford for at least the next two games. The Barons are looking to change their fortunes and take advantage of the home crowd. No rain in the forecast today – the skies are clear and it’s a scorcher on the eastern plains.
Wellington goes with their ace, 24-year old sophomore RHP
Mike Murray, who is making his post-season debut. In turn, 28-year old RHP
Ted Smith (2-1, 3.33 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) is prevailed upon by Stratford to try and get them into the win column. This will be his 8th career playoff start.
Bottom of the 3rd:
Stratford breaks through in the bottom of the 3rd. After two quick outs, Murray gives up back-to-back walks to Matthew Channing and Aaron Skidmore. Andy Faulkner then launches a 100-mph pitch 396 ft. into the rightfield bleachers for a
3-run home run, the first long bomb of the series.
Wellington 0 – Stratford 3
Top of the 5th:
But Wellington responds in a big way. Yorikane Takeuchi slaps a slow roller out to SS Alan Tennant and reaches 1B safely as Tennant doesn’t risk the throw. With one out, Mike Murray lays down a sac bunt, moving Takeuchi to 2B. Vaiga Bultarro then doubles down the rightfield line, scoring Takeuchi.
Smith then surrenders back-to-back walks to Wayne Emmert and Jim Mars, loading the bases. Greg Yates then drives the next pitch into leftfield. Bultarro scores easily. Emmert races around 3B and heads for home, beating out the throw from LF Roberto Ríos, tying up the game. Declan Bugbie then cranks out a first-pitch single into shallow left centerfield. Mars turns the corner at third and beats out LF Roberto Ríos throw home as well.
Keon-chae Cho then singles past a diving 2B Matthew Channing. Yates reaches 3B and heads for home. RF Andy Faulkner throws home but Yates slides under the tag as Wellington takes a 2-run lead.
Wellington 5 – Stratford 3
Bottom of the 6th:
Stratford gets to within run when Alfonso León walks with one out, then steals 2B two pitches later. Sherwin Carasig then singles into left centerfield, putting runners on the corners. With two out, Murray throws a wild pitch during PH Ronald Hollinshed’s at-bat. León comes into score on the play.
Wellington 5 – Stratford 4
Bottom of the 7th:
The Barons tie things up when Roberto Ríos leads off with a walk, moves over to 2B on an Alan Tennant sac bunt, then reaches 3B as Matthew Channing grounds out to 2B Vaiga Bultarro. Aaron Skidmore launches one to leftfield, but Keon-chae Cho bobbles the ball and drops it. The error allows Ríos to score.
After 9 innings the score remains tied, sending the game into extras for the second straight game.
Wellington 5 – Stratford 5
Bottom of the 11th:
RHP Zachary Collingham takes over from RHP Finley Capstick to start the bottom half of the 11th. But PH Jason Sakurai leads off with a single then advances to 2B when Alan Tennant walks on a full count with one out. Mathew Channing then launches a 2-0 pitch into centerfield. Sakurai rounds 3B and chugs for home. Greg Yates whips the ball towards home, but Sakurai slides in safely for the winning run. The Barons get back into the Series with a much-needed win.
FINAL: Wellington 5 – Stratford 6
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Game 4 – March 31
Optimism returns to Stratford as the Barons got into the win column the day before. The fans look for more as another sunny, hot afternoon prevails.
Wellington’s No. 4 starter, RHP
Troy Conlin, takes the hill for Game 4 and makes his first playoff appearance. Stratford sends their No. 2 starter, 29-year old RHP
Bill Wolf (5-4, 5.02 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) to the mound. Wolf makes his 8th career playoff start. Although he was credited with 2 wins in last year’s playoffs, he struggled, going 20.65 ERA 2.82 WHIP in just 5.2 innings of work. Thus, he is looking to redeem himself.
Bottom of the 1st:
Roberto Ríos leads off with a walk but then is cut down at 2B by C Declan Bugbie one pitch later when attempting to steal. Alan Tennant then doubles down the leftfield line all the way to wall. Matthew Channing slaps one out to 2B Vaiga Bultarro but Bultarro can’t get a handle on it, allowing Channing to reach safely and Tennant to reach 3B. Aaron Skidmore fouls off 4 straight pitches before launching a deep fly ball to centerfield. Tennant scores easily on the play.
Wellington 0 – Stratford 1
Top of the 2nd:
Keon-chae Cho walks with one out. Yorikane Takeuchi and Vance Fendley then crank out back-to-back doubles, scoring two runs. Conlin then smacks a first-pitch single into left-centerfield. Fendley tears around 3B and beats out the throw home from CF Alfonso León, adding to the Athletics’ lead.
Wellington 3 – Stratford 1
Bottom of the 2nd:
Stratford takes the lead right back. Walter Beauvais lines a single into rightfield with one out. Bill Wolf lays down a bunt, but C Declan Bugbie’s throw to 1B is off target, putting runners on the corners. After Roberto Ríos walks on 4-straight pitches to load the bases, Alan Tennant bounces one out to the left side. 2B Vaiga Bultarro tries to snare it but can’t get the handle, committing the second of his three errors on the afternoon. Tennant reaches safely as Beauvais scores.
Matthew Channing the singles into leftfield on the next pitch. Wolf scores easily. Ríos rounds third and scores, beating out the throw from LF Keon-chae Cho.
Wellington 3 – Stratford 4
Bottom of the 7th:
RHP Zachary Collingham starts the 7th in relief of Troy Conlin, but Matthew Channing greets him with a lead-off double. After reaching 3B on an Andy Faulkner ground out to 3B Yorikane Takeuchi, Alfonso León lines a double into left centerfield, scoring Channing.
Wellington 3 – Stratford 5
Top of the 8th:
After getting two quick outs, Bill Wolf gives up a walk to PH Noel Johnston. Vaiga Bultarro then crushes a double into deep centerfield. Johnston rounds 3B and scores without a throw.
Wellington 4 – Stratford 5
Bottom of the 8th:
RHP Finley Capstick takes over from Zachary Collingham but Roberto Ríos triples into the leftfield corner with one out. Alan Tennant then singles into left centerfield, scoring Ríos.
Four pitches later, Tennant steals second without a throw. Matthew Channing then hits a long single into centerfield, putting runners on the corners. Next up is Aaron Skidmore, who sends a towering fly ball out to centerfield. Tennant tags up and beats out the throw home from CF Greg Yates.
In the bottom of the 9th, Bill Wolf gets the Athletics to go down in order, as Jim Mars flies out to CF Alfonso León, Greg Yates grounds out to 1B Sherwin Carasig and Declan Bugbie flies out to LF Roberto Ríos. Stratford makes it a brand-new Series as they tie things up at 2-apiece.
FINAL: Wellington 4 – Stratford 7
